If you have had the occasion to call us recently, you may have noticed the person who answers the phone uses the phrase “Life Celebration^® Home” rather that funeral home.  This is not just a change in terms; it is our way of telling you we are about so much more than arranging funerals.

            In May of 2010, every member of the R.T. Foard Funeral Home staff, full and part time, went through intensive training to better serve our families and work with our families to co-create an experience to honor and celebrate a life well lived.

            The Life Celebration^® process actually begins with the call to the funeral home at the time of the death. The funeral director, in addition to gathering and giving information, tries to listen and help the family to begin thinking about the loved one – how his or her life story is unique and deserves to be celebrated. Collecting photographs, telling stories and sharing are huge steps toward healing.

            The life celebration continues through the process of the transfer of the deceased into the care of the funeral home, if that takes place at the home. Again, the persons who come to the home are a very important part of this entire process.

            For families, the Life Celebration Experience represents a final opportunity to co-create a profound and inherently personal tribute to their loved one, forging lasting memories that will remain long after the funeral. By celebrating a life in this way, families strengthen their traditions, renew their ties, and create a shared experience that begins the long healing process. 

            When the family meets with the funeral director to discuss arrangements is where the co-creation of the experience takes shape. The family brings with them 25 photos to tell a life story. Through those photos and sharing with the funeral director, all present come to know the lifestyle, talents, interests, passions, relationships, hobbies etc etc that made this person unique. It is from this co-creation that the Life Celebration^® is born.

            Following the arrangement co-creation, the funeral director works to create a service that is as unique and personal as the individual who is gone. We have seen what a difference it has made since May and when you have the occasion to experience a Life Celebration^®, you won’t forget it.